Acts 22:9–Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 

As a young child my friends and I would play outside, but couldn’t be too far from “shouting distance” from our parents.  Every evening like “clockwork” a parent would yell for their child, and one by one, distinguishing one parent’s voice from the other, everyone would trickle inside…
We knew if that voice wasn’t our parents we ignored the shout.  Even if losing that person hindered the game we were playing, we were just happy it wasn’t us who had come inside.  Many of us wished that we didn’t have to pay attention to that voice, so we could play all night!  
Little did I know that as a Christian, the Lord would use the same method of a distinguishing voice to obey His call throughout walking with Him.  Though the Lord doesn’t “shout” like my mother did, but in a “still small voice” I’ve learned to distinguish when He is calling me to something or from something. (John 10:27, 1 Kings 19:11-13)
The apostle Paul recounts his own conversion by describing the voice of the Lord distinctly for him, but completely unrecognizable to the people around him.  Though he was on his way to persecute those who served the Lord, it would be the distinguishing voice of God in his life, apart from those around him to live sacrificially for the Lord.
The beauty of a personal relationship with Christ is that we know the voice of the Lord, and as John 10:5 says “a stranger they will not follow”.  Though we have this distinct voice of the Holy Spirit that speaks to us, He doesn’t lead us into a radical “individualism”, but rather a steadfast loyalty to the One who calls us. (Philippians 2:1-5)
Anytime we allow the voice of God to be “muffled” by our fear of those around us, we don’t allow God to “set us apart” to be used uniquely for His purpose.  Paul hearing the voice of God unto salvation wasn’t a “one time” thing, it was only the beginning of a unique relationship He would share with the Lord, in being led by the Spirit, and set apart throughout his life/ministry.  (Romans 1:1, 2 Timothy 2:21)
Challenge yourself whether you are experiencing this unique privilege to hear the voice of God.  At times, it takes a painful sacrifice to obey what He has distinctly told you, that you be set apart from those who don’t understand.-In His Love, Ld